Find Your Perfect Beauty Subscription

Subscription box services are such a big trend in the beauty world right now, they even have their own groups here on makeuptalk.com. Sampling services typically send you around five products about once a month that can vary in type, whether it’s beauty items, lifestyle items, or even food items! But with so many services on the market, it can be hard to figure out which service is right for you! Use this handy guide to dip your toe in the the sampling box pool.

If you want lots of of (full-sized) make-up items: Starbox by STARLOOKS

Unlike almost every other subscription service, Starbox gives you ONLY full-sized makeup items from the Starlooks brand. It’s perfect if you want to experiment with new colors, not play around with skincare or lifestyle items. Even better: if you missed out on a box you really want, STARLOOKS allows you to purchase back boxes while supplies last. No more box envy!

Cost: $15/month

Some previous items sampled: Gold Dust eyeshadow, Myth Diamond Line eyeliner, Pink Petal Rose Lip Gloss; see what members think about the September box here!

Although they’re two different services, Birchbox and Ipsy both give you the most bang for your buck. Birchbox bases its items on a your personal beauty profile, while Ipsy sends the same products to all its customers. Either way, subscribers get around 5-6 items each month, ranging from makeup to skin care to even hair care! Although they typically don’t include full-sized items, you will receive deluxe samples (and some foil packets).

Julep, a Seattle-based nail polish brand, has its own subscription box that sends two polishes to customers a month, plus another beauty item. The service allows you to pick one of five or six types of boxes before the boxes are shipped, ensuring that you get polish colors you’ll actually use. Plus, if nothing is catching your fancy or you don’t have the budget for beauty items that month, you can easily skip the box online with no punishment or fees!

Cost: $20/month

Some previous items sampled: Members are already buzzing about October’s box – get in on the gossip here!

Beauty Army is the only subscription service listed that lets you pick every item in your box individually! After taking a beauty profile quiz, you’ll be shown a number of items that you can pick a few deluxe sizes of for your monthly box. Don’t like any of the options? Just try retaking the quiz while choosing different responses. If you want to know what you’re getting beforehand and have total control over your box, this might be the best option for you!

If none of these catch your fancy, there’s still lots of options out on the market, from Glossybox to Little Black Bag! Just remember to do your research and watch out for scams – if it seems too good to be true, then it probably is! What beauty subscriptions are you signed up for? Which ones are your favorites?